Swimming board or life preserver



Elli

Jill

Patented Dec. 27, 1937.

FREDERICH WALCHER, OF CHICAGO, IIJLINIS.

SWIMMING BARD 0R LIFE PRESERVER.

Applieation filed April 3U, 1927 Serial No, 187,854

lli/.ly invention relates to improvements in li'le saving apparatuses and is more particularly directed to means used in teachingr the art oil swimming.

lhe object et the invention is to provide a Float termed oi` a buoyant material which is adapted to support the user within the water when attached to the body.

Another object ot the invention is to proride a `float termed olf buoyant material which is adapted to be placed about the neck oi the user to maintain his head above the surface ot the water.

Another object of the invention. is to provide means carried bythe tloat for cushioning the head and chin oit the user, the means employed for cushioning;` the chin being changeable so as to accommodate chins ot `various shapes and proportions.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the arrangen'ient and combination et parts which are more clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more speciiically described in the anneired speciiication and claims in which Figure l is a side elevation of tliodevice showing the saine applied to the head ot the user. l

Figure Q; is a plan view ot" the board or tloat..

Figure EL is a sectional View taken on the line 3-3 ot Figure 2.

Figure fl is a fragmentary sectional view on an `enlarged scale ot a modified form ot board.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the chin rest and its catch on line 5-5 oit Figure i.

Figure tl is a perspective view showing one specific torni ot the chin rest.

vliigure l' is a plan ot the chin rest, catch and guide brackets.

Figure 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a plan ot the plate to which chin rest is secured.

llteterring; to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reterence characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral l indicates suitable board or the like, which may be termed ot cork or other buoyant material and given i Furthermore in l and place upon eachside of the board l cir-` cular plates 9i" termed of aluminum or some like metal. The board l has upon its periphery a suitable bumper 3 which is formen ot any yielding material, such as rubber or the like, while its center is provided with a cut out portion l through which passes the head ol the user, the board being normally maintained about the neck. The edpge ot the opening 4 is likewise provided with a yieldingbumperwhich 'forms a cushion against which the neck ot the wearer engages.

To maintain the board in its proper position upon the user,l have secured upon its upper tace, and adjacent-the opening l, a metal plate 6, the end ot which projects inwardly beyond the bumper 4l and is provided with an elongated slot 7 which receives therein one end of an adjustable strap 8, the lower end ot `whichhas connected thereto, by a detachable element 9, a belt l0 which is adapted to pass around the waist ot the user.

To maintain the board in its proper position about the neck ol' the wearer and to prevent its downward movement upon the shoulders I have provided a head engaging strap 'which passes over the head ot the user i and tends to support the board. As illustrated in the drawings, the board l has secured upon its upper tace a pair ot spaced brackets ll, cach being provided with a horn izontal portion l2 by which the bracket secured to the board l and a vertical entend ing portion 13, the latter having :termed therein an inclined slot lill, the purpose olf which will be hereinafter more tully described.

;-ls shown in Figure 8, the bracket inenr- Uli bers 11 are each provided with a channel V15 formed at the junction or' the horizontal and vertical portions,'these channels receiving therein the edge of a chin support here- Y inafter set forth.

The vertical portions 13 of the brackets 11 have secured thereto by rivetsl 16 or the like, Within the slots 14, the ends of an adjustable strap 17 which is adapted to pass around the neck of the user, and this strap 17 has secured thereto adjustablestraps 18 and 19, the former going upoverthe head of. the wearer, while the iaaerpasss from' Y the back of the neck upwardly over the head and is secured to the intermediate portion of thepstrap 18, the end of the strap 19` continuin'g forward and hav-ing connected thereto abrow band 20; this head gear 'serving to support the board -1 free of the shoulders of. Itheuser. Y

In Eerder` tofprovide v a Y cushion rest jfor the chin of the Auser I have arranged a 'detachf able supportwhch Yconsists ,ofl a plate -21 having'securedthereto a yielding -pad 22 .Y V.vvhich'has-formed; -in its upper facea depres- I sion23`forthe reception therein of the chili VOffthe iuselaafAs illustrated in the drawings,

it .willfbe'observed thatfthe-plate 21 isfpro-4 vided w'ith-ia reducedzendportion 24 and a projecting;frontV4 portion 25, the latter havoffthe'cushion and these'projecting edges are yreceived within the channels 15 of the bracket 11. {Itffis 1' my Vpurpose to provide various forms and y sides lofE the cushion" elements` for supporting the chin fand by `the structure WhichIf have just recited, itWill beapparent In Order -toi'adjustably 'secure the cushion elementl in iplace, I-.have provided adjacent the Afront portion ofv the plate 21 a' spring 28 oneend ofwhieh'is secured to the board,

' Whilclits" other end carries one or more pins or catches 29 which are inovedupwa-rdly into vthe opening 26 carried by the plate 21, The

springy 28 is-'iurther providedwvith afinger engaging 'buttonSO by which thespr'ing and the pin-29 in'aybe depressed.

, Having thus kfully described iny invention it will be clearlyapparent that when the' device is Iproperly applied to theiieek 'ofthe user that the buoyancyoi the iioatlw'ill iiiaiiitain this body properlyf within the Water,'and

in,A applying this device upon the neck, the boardt isyfirst placedV oveil the head and the beltadjusted properly about the Waist after which the head engaging straps are adj usted as wellas the eushion'for the support of the chin. I

In order to vfacilitatev the v-carrying of the float, I have provided about the board and adjacent its periphery a plurality or hand receiving openings 31.

Fron'i the foregoing, it is thought that the port it in place, a horizontal guide way on the upper side of the ring or collar adjacent to the front edge of the neck opening, and a chin restslidable in and out of said-guide Way and recessed in its upper side to receive the ivearers chin.

2. A buoyant ring or collar to 'encircle the wearers neck and provided with means toA support it in place, a. horizontal guide way on the upper side oi the ring or collaradjacent tothe front edge of the neck 'o ening, a chin rest slidable in and out ofsai guide Way, and a spring catch engaging the said chin rest to secure it in its adjusted position.

3. A buoyant flat ring or collar to encircle 'the Wearers neck, inea'ns for supporting' the collal` or ring in place, parallel guideforin- `ing brackets on the upper side of the ringer collar, a depressible spring catch' extending interi'nediate or' said brackets, and a chin rest slidablev lbetween said brackets and having means for engagement with said spring catch. i

1. i A buoyant fiat collar or ring to encircle j l vthe Wearers neck, ineans forsupp'ortiner the lthat-the'specilic form of cushion'illustrated is freadilj'r'detachable'trein the brackets 11. l

collar "or ring in place, parallel guide orxning brackets on the upper side of the ring or collar and each havin'ga strap-slot, head "gear provided with supporting straps c0nnected to said slots, a spring catch in front Vnietal plate aperture'd at its'forward end,

a soft or yielding chin rest secured on top of the inetal plateand ot less Width than the plate, parallel guide orining brackets between which the lnojecting .side edges of the inetal plate slide and a spring catch to engage the aperture in the inetal plate and securethe chin rest in place.

6. A buoyant annular flat collar or ring sheathed on its upper and lower sides vwith aluininuni and provided at'its inner and outer edges with `a yielding binding. and head and body straps for supporting the collar or ring in place on the wearers neck.

llo

7. A buoyant let collar or ring to eI1- circle the Weorers neck, means for suspending and holding the same in place and a horizontally extending chin rest secured on the uppelI Het nee of the ring 01 collar adjacent to the forward edge ot' its meek opening and provided with o recess for the chin on its upper side.

B. A buoyant lila-t collar o1' ring to encnele y the Wea'ers meek provided with means for 10 holding it in place, a horizontal guide Way on the uppel.n side of the ring o1" collar, a plurality olf interchangeable chin rests of different form adapted to slide in and out of the guide way and a` looking means for said 15 ohio rests.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature.

FREDERICH WALCHER. 

